{"product_id":"three-quarters-of-olympia-minus-the-servant-jean-michel-basquiat","title":"Three Quarters of Olympia Minus the Servant - Jean-Michel Basquiat","description":"\u003cp\u003eA 1982 Neo-Expressionist work by Jean-Michel Basquiat that reinterprets Manet's Olympia through raw, gestural mark-making and layered textual commentary.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJean-Michel Basquiat produced Three Quarters of Olympia Minus the Servant in 1982, a period during which he engaged frequently with art historical references. The title directly addresses Edouard Manet's 1863 painting, Olympia. By removing the servant figure, Basquiat shifts the focus of the composition, re-evaluating the power dynamics and racial narratives present in the original work.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe visual composition is characteristic of Basquiat's approach, combining raw, gestural mark-making with deliberate textual elements. The canvas features a central figure rendered in a simplified, almost skeletal style, surrounded by blocks of primary colours and scribbled annotations. Phrases such as 'Woman dry her neck' appear alongside references to Edgar Degas, creating a layered dialogue between the artist and his predecessors. The surface is textured, with visible drips and rough application of paint, reflecting the immediacy of his process.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBasquiat often utilised the canvas as a site for social commentary, blending personal observation with broader cultural critique. The inclusion of specific words and symbols functions as a visual shorthand, inviting the viewer to decode the connections between the historical subject matter and the contemporary context of the early 1980s. The work is mounted on wooden supports, a common feature in his practice that emphasises the physical, object-like quality of the painting. This piece demonstrates his ability to deconstruct canonical imagery while maintaining a distinct, aggressive aesthetic that rejects traditional notions of finish or refinement. The interplay of blue, red, and cream tones provides a structural framework for the chaotic arrangement of lines and figures, ensuring the eye moves across the surface to engage with each individual component of the composition.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"margin-top:2rem;padding-top:1.5rem;border-top:1px solid #e5e5e5;\"\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-size:0.85rem;color:#888;font-weight:600;margin:0 0 0.75rem;text-transform:uppercase;letter-spacing:0.05em;\"\u003eYou might also like\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"display:flex;flex-wrap:wrap;gap:0.5rem;\"\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/dialogue-with-the-youth-of-today-detail-martin-kippenberger\" style=\"display:inline-block;background:#f8f9fa;border:1px solid #e5e5e5;border-radius:20px;padding:0.35rem 0.85rem;font-size:0.8rem;color:#2a555a;font-weight:500;text-decoration:none !important;background-image:none !important;\"\u003eDialogue with the Youth of Today (detail) - Martin Kippenberger — Martin Kippenberger\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/wood-variation-ii-per-kirkeby\" style=\"display:inline-block;background:#f8f9fa;border:1px solid #e5e5e5;border-radius:20px;padding:0.35rem 0.85rem;font-size:0.8rem;color:#2a555a;font-weight:500;text-decoration:none !important;background-image:none !important;\"\u003eWood-Variation II - Per Kirkeby — Per Kirkeby\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Jean-Michel Basquiat","offers":[{"title":"Fine Art Poster \/ Small Square (30x30 cm) \/ -","offer_id":58829099958607,"sku":null,"price":37.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Poster \/ Medium Square (40x40 cm) \/ -","offer_id":58829170114895,"sku":null,"price":45.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Poster \/ Large Square (50x50 cm) \/ -","offer_id":58829170147663,"sku":null,"price":55.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0833\/9292\/1935\/files\/Three-Quarters-of-Olympia-Minus-the-Servant_Poster_CompositorV1_1789896183586.jpg?v=1789896444","url":"https:\/\/www.solisprints.co.uk\/products\/three-quarters-of-olympia-minus-the-servant-jean-michel-basquiat","provider":"Solis Prints","version":"1.0","type":"link"}